Improvement in hatchways



E. M. HACKETT'Sk E. MOESSNER.

HATCHWAYS. Nq. 177.633. Patented May 23,1876.

. N-PEIERS. FHOTO-LITNOGBAiYlER WASHINGTON, D. C.

to counterbalance the hatchway-door.

UNITED S'rAJrns PATENT orrie EDWARDM. HAGKETT AND-ERNST MOESSNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN l-IATCHWAVS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,633, dated May 23, 1876 application filed July 10, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD M. HAGK- ETT and E. MOESSNER, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hatch Opening and Glosing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification Our invention eonsistsin anew arrangement of the cams, cam-levers, connecting cords or chains, whereby the number of elements required to operate hatchway-doors is lessened, space economized, and the whole mechanism simplified and rendered more desirable.

Heretot'ore hatchway doors have been opened and closed by mechanism consisting ofcams connected to the hoisting'drum by intermediate gearing, to which cams were arranged levers, the cams being placed between the pivotal points of the levers, and the ends of the levers retaining the cords or chains passing down to the levers attached to the rear of the hatchway-doors. To each of said last-mentioned levers was attached a weight This combination and arrangement of mechanism I necessitated additional space at the rear of the hatchway-door,inwl1ich the parts could convenientl y operate,whichmade the wholedeviee objectionable as a practical thing, and prevented its introduction The constant strain of the weights upon the cam-levers and cams was also another objection.

We have arranged the pivotal points of the levers between the cams and the ends of the levers to which the cords or chains are attached, and have connected the cords or chains direct to the hatchway-doors, thereby enabling us to dispense with the levers at rear of doors, and weights attached thereto, and .to economize the space heretofore required for the operation of such last 7 mentioned levers and weights.

Figure 1 representsa side elevation of the apparatus and section of one of the hatch- A is the shaft, on which is placed the drum carrying the hoisting-rope B. Gis a cam-shaft, gearing with it by wheels D and E, on which shaft is a series of cams, F, one set for each set of h'atchway-doors G, and with each set of cams are levers H, the outer ends of which levers are connected directly to the doors by cords or chains I, so as to open such doors as the carriage or other load approaches, and to close, or allow them to close, after the load passes. The pivotal points of these levers are arranged between the.cams and the ends of the levers containing the cords or chains which connect directly with the hatchwaydoors, thus giving greater capacity in the camlevers for opening the doors, and dispensing with the levers at the rear of the doors and their accompanying weights, and economizing the space heretofore necessary for the retention and play of such additional mechanism of door levers and weights.

In case there is only one door, one cam and cam-lever so arranged only need be employed to each floor; and, by a system of double chains or cords, one cam and camlever may be made to serve for two doors.

it will be understood that the apparatus is alike applicable for swinging and sliding' doors but, in the latter case, springs or cords .and weights will be employed to move the doors one way, whereas in this case they close by gravity.

The dotted lines 00 y in Fig. 1 indicate the arrangement for sliding doors.

We elaim-- The combination of the hoisting drum and 

